Chapter 2: How to Build a Nest or How the Bunker is the Wayne Manor

It started out as just Castiel and his nightmares about his fall from grace, about Metatron, about his brief stint as a false god, about all his past betrayals really. Dean could understand that. He understood that Castiel possessed enough guilt to swallow him whole and everyday was another day Castiel would try to prove himself loyal to Dean which Dean didn't want or need from him.

Castiel had existed since the beginning of time or at least something close. He had lived with the voices of all his brothers constantly whispering in his head, comforting him in his times of doubt. He was never alone but now everything was quiet and Castiel craved closeness, togetherness.

Since becoming human, there was a constant fear in Castiel's eyes as if Dean would disappear if he even took his eyes off of him for a second. Dean had always thought that the intense eye stare was an angel thing and as a human, Castiel would tone it down a little but instead, it increased tenfold.

Dean lifted up the corner of his blankets to invite him in and didn't say a word when fingers clutched the back of his shirt. He didn't even flinch when Castiel shifted close to him and settled his forehead against the back of Dean's neck, little puffs of breath ghosting against his shoulder blades. And he would be lying if he said that it annoyed him. It was quite the opposite; he never had nightmares and slept through the entire night whenever Castiel snuck into his bed which was now happening at an alarming frequency. So Dean's bedroom progressively became Dean and Castiel's bedroom. And so Dean became used to another warm body in his bed, craved it even, but not just a warm body; he craved Castiel. For Dean, one of the highlights of his day was waking up to Castiel's bed hair and sleepy mumblings. If Sam, Kevin, or Adam noticed, they made no comment on it and Dean was not going to bring it up.

There was something between them though, something Dean did not want to put a name on. Occasionally, they would sleep face to face and Castiel would weave his fingers with Dean's and just sleep like that, their hands clasped between them. Sometimes Dean would wake up with Castiel cradled in his arms, his head tucked under Dean's chin and his breath ghosting along his collarbone. It was intimate but also comforting and gradually, he could feel a little bit more of Castiel's guilt fading.

And then it got cramped. It began with Gabriel; it always did. The little boy stood in their doorway and was sniffling, cheeks pinked with tears as he rubbed his face raw. In one hand, he clutched his pillow tightly to his chest which was heaving with sobs.

Dean sat up, squinting at the tiny figure silhouetted by the lights in the hallway.

"Hey, kiddo," Dean murmured, climbing out of bed and out of Castiel's hold. Castiel made a noise of protest but after seeing the source of the disturbance, sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Had a bad dream," Gabriel mumbled as Dean picked him up and patted his back in an attempt to soothe him. "Sammy's not here."

"He's visiting Garth, remember?" Dean reminded him gently. Gabriel nodded and buried his face into Dean's shoulder.

"Can I sleep here?" Gabriel asked quietly. "Please?"

Dean glanced at Castiel who stared back with sleep blurred eyes and then patted the space next to him.

"Sure, Gabe," Dean assented, settling the boy down between himself and Castiel. "But just for tonight, okay?"

"M'kay," Gabriel promised, eyes already closing. Castiel's arm automatically circled around his little brother, clasping him close.

When Dean woke up again, it was barely an hour since Gabriel had crawled in. He groaned when he pinpointed the source of what startled him awake. A small body was climbing under the covers, slowly making its way up, and then a tiny head popped beside Gabriel's. Bright grey eyes stared at him and Lucifer stuck out his bottom lip.

"I miss Sam," he said piteously. There was a question in his eyes.

"You and me both, kid," Dean muttered. "I take it you wanna sleep here too?"

Lucifer nodded and Dean sighed, shuffling over to make space for Lucifer.

"Just for tonight, alright?" Dean made Lucifer promise. The child nodded, cuddling up next to Gabriel who rolled over to face him and drifted off to sleep.

When Dean woke up for the third time in the same night, he had had enough. Adam stared sheepishly at the growing pile of kids on Dean's bed. They huddled around Castiel who looked so adorably disoriented with sleepy blue eyes.

"He wanted to sleep with his brothers," Adam started as Raphael and Kevin ran into the room.

"We heard all the noise and wanted to see what was going on," Kevin explained as he watched the children roll around the bed and burrow under the covers.

"Seriously, what is the point of having the equivalent of the Wayne Manor underground when everyone just sleeps in the same room?" Dean groused irritably.

Dean rubbed a hand over his face and into his hair. He was damned exhausted and pissed. He just wanted sleep and he knew the children needed to as well as everyone else. Adam had classes in the morning and Kevin had spent the entire day reorganizing the bunker's collection of artifacts.

"My bed ain't big enough to fit all of us," Dean pointed out grudgingly. Kevin and Adam smiled as the children cheered.

With a little effort, they managed to drag in a few mattresses and the children excitedly piled them high with blankets and pillows from each of their rooms. The effect was very reminiscent of a nest but Dean was too tired to care. He flopped down beside Castiel who immediately pulled him close, burrowing his face into the junction of Dean's neck and shoulder with a contented sigh.

Adam took up his other side, cradling Michael in his arms while Gabe and Lucifer curled into each other next to Castiel's legs. Kevin made a place for himself by Adam's head and Raphael settled close to his hip with a little sigh. Piled together like puppies after an arduous day of play, they finally fell blissfully asleep.

When Sam returned to the bunker, he was dead tired and wanted nothing more to sleep for a few hours or ten and then eat some of Dean's homemade food. But when he turned on the lights to his room he noticed his bed was lacking a mattress. Confused, he went to Dean's room.

Dean's normally orderly room was a mess of blankets and pillows and bodies spread all over the floor. His brother and Castiel were wedged in the middle and a bleary green eye stared up at him from the pile.

"Not a single word," Dean ordered with a very ineffective glare.

"What happened here?" Sam asked, amusement taking over confusion.

"What did I just say?" Dean hissed warningly and then yawned rather loudly. "You know what? It is too damn early for this shit. Park your ass down and go to sleep, Sammy."

And with that, Dean turned to face Castiel and fell back asleep. Sam sighed. He was too sleepy to complain and there was a Sam-sized space between Kevin and Raphael. And really, there was nothing else to say so he peeled off his dusty jacket and laid down on one of the many pillows covering the bed nest. His very last thought was a warm feeling in his chest. It was a heavy feeling but one that made him feel comforted and together with everyone, like a real family should be. But then again, that feeling might've just been Kevin rolling onto his rib cage in his sleep.

A/N: This came from me wondering about how Dean's room had memory foam if the Bunker was built before its conception. Anyway, just quick little things I muse about and then write down. So continue or not?